“Would you come in, please? Just for a minute.”
I looked at his face, and there was a mixture of trepidation and regret in his expression. “Five minutes,” I replied and stepped inside.
He closed the door behind me and led the way to the couch. “Would you like to sit down?” he asked, gesturing to the cushions.
“I’ll stand.”
“Okay.” He rubbed his hands on his thighs, which I noticed were distractingly bare, since he wore shorts. His legs were hairy. “Thanks for coming over. I…I’m really sorry for what I said to you, Jimmy. I haven’t gone on a bender like that since my boyfriend in graduate school broke up with me. It only happens when something deeply affects me.”
I was curious, despite myself. “Such as?”
“Look, I screwed up. I know that,” he replied. “I assumed something that…well, wh
